Chlorophyll Benefits: 12 Reasons to Go Green Everyday

So, chlorophyll. The word probably sounds familiar. If you remember your grade school biology, you’ll remember that chlorophyll is the stuff that gives plants their vivid green color. It’s actually used as food colorant in Europe (as well as by nature-lovin’, health-conscious foodies around the globe) as a natural way to give cakes, candies and treats of all kind a vibrant green color.

Most importantly, photosynthesis wouldn’t be possible without chlorophyll; it’s the molecule that allows plants to absorb energy from the sun. But not only is chlorophyll a sort of plant blood vital for plants, it’s also got some amazing natural applications for us humans.

And despite its unfortunate sounding name, this stuff is all-natural, crazy good for you and an unexpected treatment for a variety of conditions that may ail you. But the best thing about it is that chlorophyll benefits your entire body. All most of you are probably already taking daily advantage of its many, many benefits. Now here are some reasons to add more green goodness to your life!

12 Chlorophyll Benefits that’ll Make You Crave Green Juice

1. Vitamins, minerals, amino acids, oh my!

The nutritional profile of the chlorophyll varies depending on whether it’s in liquid, pill or powdered form, but suffice to say if you’re having any of these, you’re getting more than your fair share of vitamin A, vitamin, vitamin B, vitamin K, vitamin D, folic acid, and magnesium.

2. Body odor and bad breath

The year was 1957 and Dr. Franklin Howard Wescott was treating his patients for chronic anemia. Deciding that chlorophyll was the ticket, he began to notice that after a few weeks, patient’s urine began to smell much less pungent. Why he smelled his patient’s urine I have no idea, but he realized that if his patients ingested 15-200mg of chlorophyll daily, it reduced all kinds of body odors, not just pee. Don’t worry; more recent studies also back up Dr. Wescott’s claims.Don’t be fooled! There are chlorophyll products, and chlorophyllin products: only the former is the kind reduce body other, the other is just piggybacking on good press.

3. Hunger control

Say your breath is already minty-fresh and you’ve never suffered from the heartbreak of body odor? If like me you’re looking to eat a reasonable amount of calories a day, chlorophyll might be just the thing you need! In a 2013 study, women who were served meals that contained chlorophyll said they felt more sated compared to the meals without. The compounds that are supposed to satiate the appetite are called thylakoids. When paired with a higher fat diet, thylakoids act as an appetite suppressant.

The theory is that chlorophyll contains enzymes that move fatty acids to short-term energy storage in the body, where it’s turned into glucose becomes used up instead of stored up as fat.

4. Blood sugar regulation

The same study that noted the satiating effect of chlorophyll found that despite the identical meals the study participants ate, the blood sugar reading of the patients after the chlorophyll-filled meal were lower and didn’t see the regular spikes and dips that the meal without chlorophyll had. This means that the energy of the meals with chlorophyll was absorbed consistently and for longer.

5. Cleansing

If you’ve read up about the benefits of wheatgrass, then you may already know about its amazing detoxifying powers. But why is wheatgrass so super? Does it absorb its power from our yellow sun? Was wheatgrass bitten by a radioactive spider? Sadly nothing so fantastic, just good old chlorophyll (among other nutrients, vitamins and minerals.) Still, that’s nothing to scoff at.

Chlorophyll is known for cleaning out foreign substances. Chelation is the process where ions bind to metals, and because of its molecular composition binds quite handily to metal ions, including heavy metals. It’s this way that it’s a natural way to get rid of heavy metals and toxins in the bloodstream. The chlorophyll binds to the metals, and you odorlessly evacuate them from your body. A small study using aflatoxin showed that within 24 hours, 95% of substance had been evacuated from the body.

As for the crud our bodies make, there are reports that chlorophyll helps break down calcium build-ups that lead to cataracts, as well as minerals that assemble to create gallstones and bladder stones, as well as tumors.

6. Tummy trouble

Having gastro-intestinal problems? Chlorophyll could be your ticket to a natural remedy to stomach pains caused by a low-fiber diet. Chlorophyll can cleanse the stomach and loosen up build-up in the colon.

7. Muscle and bone builders

When we think about building up muscle and bone, typically protein and pumping iron come to mind. But chlorophyll can also give you an edge when you’re trying to bulk up. Because of the oxygenating effect of chlorophyll on the blood, this of course keeps muscles tissue well fed. Liquid chlorophyll is also chock-a-block with magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin D, and folic acid—which any meathead will tell you are integral ingredients to building muscle. All these vitamins and minerals are also good for keeping bones

8. Blood oxygenation

Though chlorophyll is plant blood, it looks a lot like human blood: the molecular structure of globin is pretty much identical chlorophyll. Hemoglobin is the part of red blood cells that helps transport oxygen throughout the body. The theory is that chlorophyll helps boost the oxygen levels because it’s so quickly absorbed into the blood stream, making hemoglobin’s job that much easier.

9. Helps build iron in the blood

The magnesium in chlorophyll is also good at helping bulk up your red blood cells. At the center of the hemoglobin molecule is iron, and with the help of the good green stuff the job of maintaining iron levels is that much easier. So it turns Dr. Wescott was bang on when he used it to treat anemia with chlorophyll.

10. Major antioxidant

Among its many fine qualities, chlorophyll boasts a very high amount of antioxidants. As you may recall, antioxidants prohibit the oxidization of cells, which is when a cell merges with oxygen, which can lead to the creation of potentially harmful free radicals. Currently the leading theory is that the creation of free radicals is what causes us to age over time. By ingesting foods high in antioxidents we can keep our minds and bodies healthier longer.They’re particularly helpful when it comes to diseases related to inflammation, such as arthritis.

11. Cancer fighter

In its arsenal of awesome powers, chlorophyll is also looking like it could be an effective tool to help fight cancer. Though humans quickly absorb chlorophyll, it actually prevents the absorption of one of the most carcinogenic toxins known to us, aflatoxins. Unfortunately, aflatoxins are produced in nature and commonly found in foods we eat every day. Research is increasingly showing that ingesting pure chlorophyll, preferably in liquid form, is a powerful tool against procarcinogens that mess with our DNA and can lead to cancer and other kinds of illnesses.

12. Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory healing

Chlorophyll heals not only your insides, but your outsides as well! So packed with vitamin A, C, and E, it also bacteriostic (that’s anti-bacterial properties for us simpler folk) that allows it to be used topically to kill bad bacteria that causes infection and scarring. Early research shows that it’s an effective fighter against painful sores caused by shingles as well as cold sores caused by the herpes simplex virus.

After growing up a perpetually pudgy kid, Jessica discovered real food - and her waistline shortly afterward. When she's not crafting concoctions in the kitchen, she spends her free time writing about food, making her own deodorant, watching sci-fi, doing headstands, and looking for gluten free food that doesn't suck.

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